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By The Canadian Press
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( h7 o% I" B5 J- m$ [& f; ~EDMONTON - Alberta's lowest wage earners will get a bit of a break next month as the minimum wage increases by five per cent to $8.80 per hour. $ P- ]- S' n! W2 X
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That rate is pretty much in the middle of the pack compared to other provinces, with Ontario leading the nation with a rate that will jump to $9.50 at the end of the month.
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Alberta's 40-cent per hour boost on April 1 may not seem like a lot in a province where the average hourly wage is $23.90.
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5 D. a% p" X( A% ~9 J* F0 Z, nBut most minimum wage earners are between 15 and 19-years-old and work in the hotel, retail and food service industries. ; ]- w6 R; c1 L* W$ [# y4 f
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Employment Minister Hector Goudreau says while most people earn much more than the minimum wage, the province didn't want to forget about those in lower-income occupations. $ N5 |' b" ~0 `: }; i6 N9 @' K
1 ~6 p6 f( f% W+ t- wAlberta uses a formula to set the minimum wage each year, with increases calculated each spring using the average weekly earnings for all sectors. |
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